


Replaying Memories

by charizella



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 08:20:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8394271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charizella/pseuds/charizella
Summary: Jisoo was diagnosed with dementia, and Seungcheol was determined to make his life last long.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Major Character Death alert! I know what you're thinking, I'm built up of angst all over. So get your tissues ready and scroll down.

After 4 years of being in the married life, Seungcheol and Jisoo adopted twins, a boy and a girl.

The two children didn't seem they were adopted because they had Seungcheol's doe eyes and Jisoo's sweet smile.

They raised the two as their own. And gladly, when they told their children they were adopted, they accepted it with a whole heart.

But one day, Jisoo felt somewhat distressed, he often forgets something to do and ends up harming himself. Seungcheol was then a retired-songwriter and was busy with his business but he had found time to get Jisoo up and prepped for a check-up.

Bad news stated, Jisoo had dementia. It's a disease that develops in our brain and has us forgetting little to major information.

There was not yet a cure, and Jisoo didn't really want to burden his husband. He fought his dementia, tried to live a normal house-husband life.

And he did. More or less. Everything changed after he had his dementia for a year. He started to forget about their own children, Jinri and Jiyong.

He messed up a lot, but Seungcheol was patient. He thought if serenading Jisoo was hard, he can stand with his love's dementia. As it was stated in their vows, “In sickness and in health.”.

***

After 2 years. It was already 3 years of Jisoo suffering from dementia. He really couldn't do anything productive anymore. Even one time just got lost in the park where they used to have picnic dates in. He had to have the help of a police officer before getting back in their condominium.

But then one day, the family's fears have been realized.

“Jinri, let your appa do it for you.” Jisoo insisted on cooking lunch.

“No, appa. You might cause problems again. Just sit down. You can help by just sitting still and not doing anything!” Jinri's tone rose. She was already annoyed at her father.

Then Jinri's phone rang, it was her brother, Jiyong.

“Jiyong-ssi?”

Then after the call ended, Jinri had to go to the market and buy groceries. She turned off the stove and put the pan out of Jisoo's reach.

As soon as Jinri was out of sight, Jisoo stood up and turned on the stove and cooked bacon. Then he heard the doorbell rang, he went for it.

There was no one there, so he tried finding elsewhere but it was only a busy hallway. So he went back to the kitchen and closed the screen door.

Thick clouds of dark smoke was everywhere. He forgot to turn of the stove. Now he can't. He was panicking, not knowing what to do. He tried knocking but he fell weak. Until he got suffocated.

“Appa? Appa! Open the door!” Jinri arrived at their condominium with a thick cloud of smoke welcoming her. 

She broke off a cold sweat and started finding Jisoo. She only saw his lifeless body on the ground. More of puzzling, Jisoo still had that sweet smile on his lips.

Jinri quickly called 911 and then Seungcheol. Once the ambulance arrived, Jisoo was declared dead. There was no hope.

On Jisoo's funeral, everyone was crying. Well, except for Seungcheol.

But why wasn't Seungcheol crying? Maybe because he thought that he should forget about his feelings first so that when Jisoo passes away, he won't feel that broken anymore. It was complicated. He was depressed when he got the news, so why not forget about Jisoo before Jisoo even forgets about him, right?

Well that was what Seungcheol thought.

***

5 days later, Seungcheol remembered that it was already 3 years since Jisoo was diagnosed with dementia.

He leaped off his bed and went to brush his teeth. When he got to the dining area, he was surprised to see..

It was Jisoo's spirit.

He was standing there in shock, he was thinking that he was just probably missing Jisoo but it wasn't his hallucinations. Jisoo's spirit was really standing there, by the sink, acting as if he were washing the dishes

He never told this sight to his children, they might think that they will lose Seungcheol, too.

But after a few days, Seungcheol needed to know what was his husband's spirit's message, so be went to see a psychiatrist.

According to the psychiatrist, it was Jisoo's dementia spirit. A dementia spirit is like a replay of what the patient was doing the same date years ago. And only one person can see him. In this case, it was Seungcheol.

So Seungcheol continued to follow Jisoo's dementia spirit. Of course, Jisoo wouldn't reply because it's only a replay of the past.

He learned how to wash dishes, buy groceries, basically do chores, just by following Jisoo. And 3 years ago, Jisoo's dementia hasn't really built up yet.

A year passed quickly, Seungcheol was still following Jisoo's dementia spirit. And they were watching TV.

While watching TV, he noticed that after months, he finally witnessed Jisoo smile, again.

Then he quickly got up and ordered Jiyong to search what was on the news the same day 3 years ago.

It was announced that it's officially spring. And a familiar kind of flower welcomed his eyes. Sunflowers.

Then he remembered proposing to Jisoo at a sunflower garden. “Ahh, that's why Jisoo was smiling.” Seungcheol thought.

***

Seungcheol was, then again, following Jisoo's dementia spirit. He was following him to the market, and when Jisoo stopped in front of a display of chocolates, he smiled, and murmured something. "Seungcheol used to love these."

Seungcheol looked at the display, and there he saw his favorite chocolates. Dark chocolates. Observing Jisoo, he looked like he took two boxes and proceeded to the cashier to pay.

"Sir, you haven't bought anything yet." The young lad behind the cash register politely told Seungcheol, then he realized the clerk couldn't see Jisoo, and that he wasn't real. So he just apologized at exited the market.

But Seungcheol was wondering, Jisoo took home and gave him only one box of chocolates. He was wondering where the other box went, since he knew Jisoo didn't really prefer dark chocolate as much as he did.

Right when the two were walking back home, Jisoo suddenly stopped by the tree, sympathy on his eyes. He politely offered a hand. He probably saw a child, Seungcheol thought. Jisoo was always the type to share extra food to beggar children around their neighborhood.

Jisoo pat the child's head and walked home.

But Seungcheol's feet were nailed to the ground. That's when he realized that he really didn't spend quite a lot of time with Jisoo since they got married, or atleast since Jinri and Jiyong went to school.

***

Then another year has passed, Seungcheol was following Jisoo who was sitting on a park bench.

It started raining, Jisoo was unaffected. Probably because the same day 3 years ago it wasn't raining.

Jisoo was only staring at the distance. And finally, right on cue, when the rain stopped, Jisoo stood up, looking confused.

He looked around, bewildered. He was probably lost again. So he went to the Police Office and gave his name. He was escorted back to their condominium, that's why he was late the same day 3 years ago.

And the day arrived. Jinri was getting married, one week before Jisoo's 3rd death anniversary, one week before Jisoo's dementia spirit leaves for good.

Seungcheol watched Jisoo as he was setting up the stove, and he went outside. Then he came back again, welcomed by fire.

Jisoo looked confused, he didn't know what to do. Until Seungcheol realized, Jisoo's dementia spirit started to fade.

***

Jinri and Jiyong have their own families and homes. And Seungcheol chose to stay at the condominium. Though Jisoo's dementia spirit already left him, he thought that at the remaining part of his life, he should spend it where he should have been all along.

One time, when Seungcheol met his ol' psychiatrist, Mr. Yoon, he asked for a favor. Which the latter agreed to.

***

12 years later, Seungcheol passed away in peace.

On the day of the burial, the twins were crying. But they have hopeful smiles and spirits.

Jinri kneeled at Jisoo's grave, crying, sobbing. "Appa, I'm really sorry. My last words to you were very hurtful. It's okay if you don't forgive me, it's my fault you're gone. I really wish I can turn back time just to tell you that I love you so much. Now that appa Seungcheol is with you, I hope, even by little bit, you're happy now."

And Mr. Yoon told Jiyong and Jinri about what Seungcheol was seeing. 

"He never told us. But you never told him those were his hallucinations only?" Jinri asked him, "Yeah. I actually never heard of a dementia spirit." Jiyong agreed.

"I could see how much Seungcheol loved Jisoo. Did I ever tell you I loved Seungcheol so much?" Mr. Yoon looked up at the sky, a tear falling down from his left eye. "I made the dementia spirit up so Seungcheol could feel that he was experiencing something pretty normal. I didn't tell him he was really suffering from a disorder."

"But were his sightings of appa Jisoo, were they accurate?" Jiyong asked.

"I can say yes. I know what he sees is exactly what Jisoo did 3 years before. I can't really think of how that's possible." Mr. Yoon scratched his head, smiling awkwardly at the twins.

"Ahh.." the two reacted in unison.

"Jiyong-ie! Jinri-ya! Come here, auntie's here to see you!" A middle-aged woman called the twins. Jinri and Jiyong bowed briefly to Mr. Yoon and exchanged goodbyes, and in a swift, they were out of sight.

And Mr. Yoon placed a sunflower on Seungcheol's and Jisoo's graves. He looked up to the sky and released 2 white balloons.

“I have done my part, Seungcheollie. May your soul rest in peace.”

***

Seungcheol woke up on a bed of clouds, seeing a familiar man not far from him. He stood up and realized he was wearing white overalls. What he wore when he was buried.

He approached the man and hugged him from the back.

“I missed you, Jisoo.”

“I missed you more, Seungcheol.”

**Author's Note:**

> Did it hurt? Did it make you sad? I'm sorry if it does. Tell me what you think, comment down below :D I'd love to hear your opinions. If you were given a chance to make a different ending, how would you end it? Share it at the comments!


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